Method of making ring-mountings



W.'C; BOWERS.

' METHOD OF MAKING RING MOUNTINGS.,

' APPLICATION FILED ocT. 17,1917. 7 1,352,870, Patentedsept. 14, 1920.

W8 Fi .9

BY M la ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER c-.'nownns, on nn Yf'reiq, oniof Mnrnon oi" Maxine tine-ivrounrnves.

To. all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, VVALTnR C. BownRs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Ring- Mountin'gs, r which the following is a specification. 1 V Heretofore in the production of rings hav ing skeleton settings, it has been customary in many cases to construct the ringsby hand from a unit blank of metal and also to'first form the ring proper and setting separately and then braze or solder the ring and the setting together However, such methods of manufacture were extremely expensiveow ing to the small output of the same and the corresponding higher wage element in the 'cost thereof and in the case of the soldered or brazed two-plece rings'there were serious objections because of the failure of the sol I der in many cases to durably secure the setting to the ring.

My invention relates to the manufacture of finger-rings having skeleton settings adapted to receive precious and imitation stones and has for its objects the expeditious and economical production from a unit blank of such rings, substantially'equal in appearance and durability tothe best hand carved rings, by a series of mechanical operations. i

The invention is fully set forth' and described in detail in'the accompanyingspecification and drawings forming a part there of, in which y i Figure l is an elevation of-a metal blank; Fig. 2 is a vertical section partly in elevation of a die and punch, showing the-blank as shaped therein; V

Fig. 3 is a plan'viewoi the die of Fig. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the blank, isolated, after being removed from the die shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical section, partly in elevation of a die and'punch' used in the flashing or spreading operation, showing the blank as shaped therein;

Fig. 6 is a plan View, from below, of the lower end of the punch shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the blank shown in Fig. 5, isolated;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, showing the cutter for removingthe web from between the respective prongs oi the ring;

Speeiii tionof Lette s aten Patented'Sep 4, .21!-

Application filed October 17, 1917. Serial No. 197,096. 7 I H Fig. 9' is a transverse section ofthe cutter, Fig. 10 is' a view of a blank after the cutting operationshowing the ring finished,

except for thebending up of the prongs, V

int-he dotted lines.

Refer-ringto the drawings and the operations shown therein, the reference numeral 1 designates a shank of metal, for example, golchwhich is provided with a, headportion 2, the latter being preferably electrically spot-welded to said shank in the well'known manner, although thesame may consist of a single piece of metal, if desired. A die 3 having a recess4 serves, when a punch 5 is forced against a blank resting on the said which also is recessed to conform with the configuration of the blank, as shown, and said blank is then subjected to the action of the punch member 7, which flashes the same into the form shown in Figs. 5 and 17' respectively. Said punch member 7 is provided with a conical lower end 8 which has laterally extending grooves'9 and a central'projection or teatlO. i I i The blank as it issues from the mold 6 has a flaring or cup-shaped head consisting of radial ribs 11 with webs 12 therebetwee'n. In order to remove the aforesaid webs, the

said blank is then placed in a cutting machine in such a position as shown in Fig. 8, that a cutter member 13 may project downwardly between the twov adjacent fingers or prongs and completely cutaway the intermediate web without said cutter contacting with the diametrically opposite fingers or prongs of the head such as designated by the reference numeral 0 in Fig.8. It is necessary that-the configuration of the cupof intersection of the diametrically opposite fingers thereof, when extended, should be greater than 90 and not over- 116 preferably about 112. The angle between the face d of the table and the vertical face '6 as indicated by the reference letter 02, is sufficient to accommodate a shank and finger'substam tially as illustrated in Fig. '8. When the ring is in the position shown in Fig. e, the putter member 13 can reciprocate vertically shaped head should be such that the angle so as to cut away the web between any two adjacent ribs without interfering in any way or coming in contact with the dlametrically opposite ribs on the cup-shaped head of the ring. The ring as it issues from the cutter member as shown in Fig. Swill have I having superficial ribs on its upper surface,

separate prongs or'fingers as shown in Fig.

10 and the shanks canbe readily bent into a perfect ring, as shown in the dotted lines. In order to secure a stone in the said mounting, it is merely necessary to press up the prongs in the usual manner, this latter step forming no part of my invention.

It is essential that the original blank con tain no joint filled withlow meltingpoint consists in first forming a blank having a :metal, such as the solder employed for joining rings and parts thereof, as under the high pressure employed in the die the head 2 would separate from the shank portion. Accordingly, I preferably spot-weld a head to a shank by electricity thereby momentarily melting the shank and the head 10- of the stone and facilitate cleaning.-

cal'ly at their'point of juncture. When'cool the joint is virtually as strong as if a singlepieceblank having an integral head formed thereon wasemployed.

It'is also essential that the ribs should be of such configuration that when the webs are cut away in the manner previously described, each rib will constitute a prong or claw. of the desired shape, such for example as shown inFigs. 7 and 10 which represent ordinary prongs of what is'known as the Tiffany setting.

As is evident the recess formed in the bottom center portion of-the head by the projection 10, serves to extrude the metal from the bottom and force the same outwardly and upwardly. Thereby the metal is forced into the grooves 9 and the formation of the ribs is facilitated and the employment of an excessively large head or, knob is avoided. This is especially-desirable, since the metal in the center of the bottom of the cup-shaped head is 'laterremoved by punching or drilling so as to admit the light to the bottom As shown in Fig. 8 the shanks extend at substantial rightv angles to each other so that the same snugly embrace'the sides f and g of the table or support therefor of the cutting machine.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.'The method of making a finger ring which consists in first forming a blank having a rectilinear shank and a solid central head integrally joined therewith without the each rib projecting in such direction that it would, if extended, intersect the extension of a portion. of the cup diametrically'opposite thereto at an angle greater than a right angle, then rigidly supporting said blank and removing the intermediate metal webs between the aforesaid ribs. z

2. The method of making a ring which rectilinear shank and a solid central head integrally joined therewith without the inright angle, then rigidly supporting said blank and causing a reciprocating metal cutter to successively contact with the metal in close proximity to two adjacent ribs without contacting witha diametrically opposite metal portion of the cup so as to cut away the metal webs beween the ribs.

3. The method of making a blank for a finger ring consisting in first forming a blank having'a rectilinear shank and a central head joined together, bending said shank to form two shanks extending at an angle to each other from the head, .flashing said head to form a cup-shaped member, then rigidly supporting said blank and removing portions thereof in spacedrelation providing intermediate fingers;

4. The method .of making a blank for a finger ring consisting in first forming a blank having a head havingtwo' shanks'extending at an angle to each other from the head, flashing said head to form a" cupshaped member, then removing portions of said. .head in spaced relation providing intermediate fingers.

.In witness-whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at the city of NewYork, county and State of New York, this 16th day of October, 1917. V.

. I WALTER C. BOWERS. 

